Side rail for beds



June 10, 1952 A. W. SCHUTZER v SIDE RAIL FOR BEDS Filed April 24} 1948 2 SHEETS-SHEET l A T TORNEK Patented June 10, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE n .SIDE RAIL FORBEDS Alma W. Schutzer, San Francisco Calif. Application April 24, 1948, Serial No. 22,999

3 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in hospital beds and more particularly to side rails for such beds.

An object of my invention is to provide an improved side rail for hospital beds embodying novel rail supporting means attachable to a side of a bed frame which makes it possible to support the rail either in an upstanding operative position or in a concealed out-of-the-way position underneath the springs of the bed.

Another object of my invention is to provide an improved side rail of the type characterized which is arranged for manipulation in a narrow space without the necessity of swinging the rail outwardly through a wide are when moving it from an upstanding operative position to a concealed position beneath the springs of the bed, or when moving the rail in a reverse direction from beneath the bed to an upstanding operative position.

Other and further objects of my invention will be pointed out hereinafter, or will be obvious to one skilled in the art upon an understanding of the present disclosure. For thepurpose of this application I have elected to show herein certain forms anddetails of a side rail for beds embodying my invention. It is to be understood, however, that the embodiment .of my invention herein shown and described is for illustration purposes only and that therefore it is not to be regarded as exhaustive of the variations of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a bed having side rails of the type embodying my invention mounted thereon;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the same;

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic end view of the bed, showing one of theside rails in an upright raised position, and the other rail at the opposite side of the bed in a lowered position, preparatory to its being swung into a concealed position under the bed; and

Fig. ,4 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3, showing the latch means for holding the side rails insupported positions under the bed. a

The bed with which my invention is used embodies the usual bed frame comprising a foot portion I having corner posts 2 and a head portion 3 having corner posts 4. The springs and mattress (not shown) are supported on the bed frame in the customary manner. Side rails 5 adjustably mounted at the sides of the bed frame are each arranged to be operatively positioned in .2 y an upright position as shown on Fig. 1 of the drawings, or in a concealed out-of-th'e-way position beneath the bed. Since the side rails are similarly supported at thesides of the bed frame. a description of the supporting means for one of therails will suflice for both.

Secured in parallel relation to a corner post 4 is a substantially vertical guide rod 6 which is slightly longer than the width of its associated side rail 5. The guide rod 6 has threaded end extensions 1 which extend inwardly through the post 4. A collar 8 fixed on each extension 1 abuts an outer side of the post while a nut 9 engaging with the threaded portion of the extension abuts the opposite inner side of the post. It will be noted that the guide rod 6 is securely supported in spaced substantially parallel relation. to its associated post. At the lower end of the bed frame is provided a similar arrangement for supporting the opposite ends of the side rails. Secured to a corner post 2 is a substantially vertical guide rod [0 which is about the same length as the guide rod 6. The lower end of the guide rod I0 has an inwardly disposed threaded extension H at its lower end which extends inwardly through the post 2, and a collar 8 and a nut 9 of the kind heretofor described secures the said extension to the post. The upper end of the guide rod I0 extends inwardly at [2, downwardly at l3 and then inwardly again at M. The inwardly extending portion I4 is threaded and is secured in the same way by a collar 8 and a nut 9 to the post 2. The upper end of the guide rod I 0 is formed with extensions l2 and I3 in order that the said rod may be supported at substantially the same level as the guide rod 6 and in parallel relation thereto. The foot portion l' of the bed frame is substantially lower than the head portion 3, thereby making it necessary to form the guide rod I0 with the extensions I2, l3 and M in order that the side rail may be arranged either in its normal upright position or in its out-of-the-way position beneath the bed.

Secured at each end of the side rail 5 near the top edge thereof is a projecting eye member l5 through which the guide rods 6 and I0 slidably extend. Slidably mounted on the lower edge of the side rail 5 and arranged to be projected from the ends of the said rail are bifurcated members 16 which are adapted to engage with the guide rods 6 and H). The bifurcated members are arranged so they can be extended beyond the ends of the side rail 5 to engage with the guide rods 6 and In, or they may be retracted toward each other to permit their disengagement with re- 3 spect to the said guide rods. When extended, as shown in Fig. 1, the bifurcated members It are arranged to engage with the inwardly disposed lower extensions! and H of the guide rods 6 and 10, respectively, and the rail 5 is then supported in an upright operative position. The eye members 15 engaging with the guide rods 6 and I prevent the rail from becoming displaced from its upright position when it is so supported by the bifurcated members Hi.

When it is desired that the rail be positioned in a concealed out-of-the-way position, the bifurcated members It are moved backwardly from engaging positions with respect to the guide rods 6 and ID. The rail may then be lowered in a vertical plane until the eye members it engage with the lower inwardly disposed extensions land I l of the guide rods. The rail is then swung inwardly as indicated by the arrow in Fig. 3 to a substantially horizontal position under the bed. It "will be noted that the rail, whenmoved from its operative position to one where it is concealed, and vice versa, does not have to be swung outwardly through an arc. Thus a bed equipped with the present invention does not require much additional side space for the adjustment and movement of its side rails.

' Ihe side rails are supported in concealed positions-by means of a pair of independently operable -'keepers ll which are pivotally supported in a case is in a central position on the foot portion 1 of the-bed frame. The keepers i'i when in their normal forwardly projecting position, extend under-the side rails 5 and thereby support'thein in substantially horizontal positions, as shown in Fig. 4. A spring 59 connected at its ends to the keepers *i'l normally maintain them in positions whereby their forward-ends project from the case 18 to positions for supporting the rails. Cords, chains or cables 23 connected to the keepers l-i serve to turn the latter about their pivots and thereby retract their forward ends from sup porting positions with respect to the rails. Each keeper I1 is capable of independent operation, and the spring l9 automatically returns the keepers'totheir normal positions after they have been retracted by an operator who has manipulated either or both of the cords 2.9,

It is to be noted that the present invention may be applied to various types of beds now in use, it only being necessary todrill thenecessary holes in the 'bed posts for the attachment of the guide rods. t is also to be noted that the present invention is well adapted for use with childrens beds or cribs.

As shown by the broken lines in Fig. 3 a rectangular extension member 2| may be supported above the foot portion i of the bed frame by means of the extensions H of the guide rods 10. In this arrangement eye members or other means are used to connect the opposite ends of the rectangular member 2! with the extension l3.

What I claim is:

1. 'Ina bed having upright corner posts, a pair of substantially parallel upright guide rods secured to and arranged in spaced relation to the posts, :the said guide rods -having inwardly disposed upper and lower extensions secured to the posts, asside rail adjustably mounted on the guide rods, projecting eye means .secured to the ends of the rail adjacent the upper edge thereof, the said eye means being slidably connected to the guide rods, and adjustable members mounted on the ends of the rail near the bottom edge thereof, the said adjustable members when in one of their correspondingly adjusted positions being adapted to rest on the lower extensions of the guide rods, whereby the side rail is supported in a substantially vertical position, and when the adjustable members are in another corresponding adjustable position they are disengaged from the lower extensions of the guide rods.

2. In a bed having upright corner posts, a side rail adjustably mounted between and on two of .the corner posts at one side of the bed, a pair of substantially vertical guide rods secured to and spaced from the corner posts on which the side rail is mounted and having upper and lower extensions connecting the guide rods to the said corners posts, slidable members secured to the ends of the rail near the upper edge thereof and arranged in slidably connected relation to the guide rods, and a pair of adjustablesupporting devices secured to the opposite ends of the rail at the lower edge thereof, the said devices when in one of their correspondingly adjusted positions being positioned in a supported position on the lower extensions of the guide rods, whereby the rail is supported 'ina raised position, and thesaid devices when in another correspondingly adjusted position being released from the lower extensions of the guide rods.

. 3. In a bed having upright corner posts, a pair of upright elongated guide members supported on the corner posts at one side of the bed, the'said guide members being arranged in spaced relation to the corner posts on which'they are supported, the said guide members having inwardly disposed upperand lower extensions connecting the guide members to the posts, a side rail adjustably mounted on the guide members and arranged to be supported in an upright raised position between the guide members, a pair of slidable memberssecured to the opposite ends of the rail adjacent the upper edge thereof and arranged in slidably connected relation to the guide members, and a pair of adjustable supporting devices secured to the lower portion of the rail at the opposite ends thereof, the said devices when in one of their correspondingly adjusted positions being supported on the lower extensions of the guide members, whereby the rail is supported in an upright position, and the said devices when in another of their correspondingly adjusted positions being released from the lower extensions of the guide members, whereby the rail may be lowered and swung under the bed.

ALMA W. SCHUTZER.

REFERENCES "CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS.

Number Name Date 1;612,080 Waddington -Dec. 28, 1926 2,233,301 Wernberg Feb. 25, .1941 2,282,484 Kroll et al May '12, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS Number I Country 7 Date 765 Great Britain .Jan. 10, 19-12 

